Could Oscar deal a Joker?

Jul. 10, 2008

Written by

David Germain

The Associated Press

Heath Ledger's dark and anarchic performance as the Joker in the Batman tale "The Dark Knight" is so remarkable that next Jan. 22, the one-year anniversary of his death, he could become just the seventh actor in Oscar history to earn a posthumous nomination.

"I do think that Heath has created an iconic villain that will stand for the ages, and of course, I would love to see him get an award," said Christian Bale, who reprises his "Batman Begins" role in the movie that arrives July 18.

Superhero flicks usually are not the stuff Oscar dreams are made of. Yet Ledger delivered far beyond anyone's expectations.

Peter Finch is the only person to win an Oscar after his death, earning the best-actor prize for 1976's "Network."

With nothing remotely like the maniacal Joker among his credits beforehand, Ledger had been a surprising choice to fans, some feeling he was too young, others sensing he would not live up to the campy but earnest performance Jack Nicholson gave in 1989's "Batman." (The role earned Nicholson a Golden Globe nomination, though he did not make the Oscar cut.)

As filming progressed last year, word began leaking from the set about the feverishly psychotic persona Ledger was creating.

With a marketing campaign heavily focused on the Joker, the movie trailers that followed presented a Joker with sloppy, ominous clown makeup that looked as though it had been applied in a windstorm.

"Heath Ledger didn't so much give a performance as he disappeared completely into the role," filmmaker and lifelong comics fan Kevin Smith said on his MySpace blog after seeing an early screening of "The Dark Knight."

Ledger's performance is surpassing even the sky-high expectations of hardcore fans.

"He was better than I thought he was going to be," said Bill Ramey, founder of the fan Web site Batman-on-Film.com.

"I think he legitimately would deserve an Oscar nomination, not just out of sympathy to his passing, but because he was just fantastic in the movie. ... It's right up there with Hannibal Lecter" - which earned Anthony Hopkins an Oscar for "The Silence of the Lambs."